A Silent Voice outtakes
by ShaymieTehShaymin
Summary: Lorin Haywood has become Lorin Hamilton and must now conquer the next part of her life: motherhood. A series of mostly fluffy outtakes, kinda a sequel to A Silent Voice, so read that if you haven't.
1. Chapter 1

**Um yes hi hello, I know I said I was going to take a break, but I missed my lil' beans too much and this came to be. These outtakes will also kinda serve as the prequel before the actual sequel... I don't really what to call this, y'all. This won't really have a set schedule because I have some other things I'm working on. *glares at several WIPs* But this will be a fun little side project while I finish planning the sequel. Hopefully you lovelies enjoy! This should hopefully be full of fluff, with the occasional bit of angst because I must defend my title of angst princess. ~Shaymie**

* * *

 _Lorin_

"I never thought I would live to see the day Lorin Haywood-Hamilton drinks coffee." I glared at my sister as she sat next to me at the kitchen table. I could hear Clover babbling in the living room and sighed. If I had remembered that Darcy was coming over, I would have tried to actually get dressed. As it was, I was dressed in one of Alex's shirts and some sweatpants. My hair was in the same messy bun I had tossed it in a few days ago.

"I'm exhausted, Dar," I groaned, rubbing my eyes. I hadn't even made breakfast because Philip was such a light sleeper. Anything could wake him up, and then it would take forever to get him back to sleep. I knew things were supposed to get easier as he got older, but at the same time, I didn't want him to get bigger. He was just too precious.

"I can tell. You look like shit," Darcy sighed, taking my hair down and running a hand through it. I flinched as she tugged through some knots. Maybe I had been neglecting my self-care a bit. "Lori, you need some personal mommy-time. What are you and Alex doing for Valentine's Day?"

I bit my lip. I didn't want to admit it, but Valentine's Day terrified me. Alex and I hadn't done anything special for it in a long time. I knew I shouldn't be so paranoid, but just the thought of going out for it was almost enough to send me into a panic attack. I had to remind myself that nobody would hurt me. I was safe. Granted, James had been out of jail for about a year now for "good behavior"-news studios had a field day with that story and didn't hesitate to bombard me with questions, asking how I felt about it- but he was never going to hurt me again. George made sure of that.

"We don't really… celebrate Valentine's Day anymore." I felt like an idiot just for saying it. What kind of couple didn't celebrate Valentine's Day? But every time I tried to take a step out of the apartment on that day, I was assaulted with glimpses of a shiny handgun pointed straight at me and the maniacal laughter of my ex. Just thinking about it brought back the memory of my blood leaking from my body, warm, wet and sticky-

"Lori?" Darcy grabbed my hand, snapping me back to reality. I shivered, even though the apartment was plenty warm. I hated thinking about that night. I hated that I had yet another thing to go to therapy about. I hated that James has _ruined_ me. I couldn't even go out drinking with everyone on the 4th of July because I was too busy spending the night curled up with headphones over my ears, trying to block out the sound of the fireworks. I hated how I kept Alex from having fun with everyone else.

"I… I'm sorry for spacing out like that."

"I'm sorry for being so insensitive. I should have known." Darcy cupped my cheek and wiped away some tears that I didn't even notice had fallen. She kissed my forehead and brushed some hair back from my face. "Are you alright? I thought I lost you for a second there."

"I'm fine," I sighed, taking a sip of my coffee. My trembling hands said otherwise. "I just… Every time I think I'm past it, I'm _not_. My therapist said that I'll never truly be past it. You know, PTSD and all that. I hate that I'll never be how I used to be."

"Lori, you've been through more shit than anyone should ever have to deal with. And every time you're knocked down, you come back stronger than before. You might not see it, but you've changed for the better. You talk more. You laugh more. You're happier, y-you're more confident. I mean, you're on _Broadway_. Yeah, it's not fair that you had to go through those awful things to get to this point, but it just shows how strong you are. You're the strongest person I know, Lori, and I'm not saying that lightly. You're the only person I know that's told death to fuck off more than once."

"I wish I had something to show for this strength aside from shaky hands. But… thank you, Darcy." I hugged my sister and smiled. She gave the best pep talks. Maybe there were some good things about my experiences. My therapists have said that everything happens for a reason. And in the words of one of my favorite musicals, "what doesn't kill me doesn't kill me".

"Why aren't you in bed, love?" I blinked as Alex walked into the kitchen, Clover clinging to his leg. He didn't look anywhere near as tired as I felt. Then again, he was probably used to running on little sleep. He ran a hand through his hair, which he hadn't bothered to brush. God, he was so handsome. I hope Philip looks more like him than me when he grows up. It was hard to tell which of us he looked more like now. He still kinda looked like a wrinkled blob. Clover cried the first time she saw him.

"Damn, both of you look like trash." Darcy stood up and grabbed the box of Pop-Tarts from the top of the fridge. She took a package out and tossed it to me, clicking her teeth when I failed to catch it. Clover found it hilarious and burst into laughter. I sighed and grabbed the snack from the floor. At least it was still wrapped. "You two need some time to yourselves. J and I will watch Philip tomorrow."

"You don't have to, Dar-"

"You look like you're going to fall over any second now, Lori. And I want to spend some time with my nephew. This isn't up for discussion, darling."

* * *

"It's so quiet without Pip screaming his head off," Alex murmured sleepily, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me closer. I smiled. Darcy came by early this morning to pick up our son and told us to have fun, but not too much fun. So far our "day off" has consisted of us lying in bed, dozing in and out of consciousness. We should probably get up to eat something at some point, but it was too warm…

"It's nice. It's… peaceful." I turned to face my husband and brushed some hair from his face. The easygoing grin on his face made my heart flutter. How was I so lucky? I had the perfect husband. Not that I'd ever tell him that to his face. His ego was big enough as it was. "Alex, you know we're going to have to get out of bed eventually."

"I don't wanna." Alex groaned and buried his head in my chest, a crooked little smirk on my face. "Can't we stay in bed a little longer? I'll order a pizza or something."

"One of us still has to leave bed to get it," I pointed out. I chuckled as Alex huffed and rolled over, a deep sigh coming from his chest. Of course I would end up marrying the biggest man-child on the planet. I wonder if everyone at the firm knew how immature he was. He was one of the best lawyers there, probably tied with Aaron. They were often assigned to work together on cases.

"I don't want you to leave my side, Lo. So I guess we'll starve here." Alex stared up at the ceiling fan and yawned. I rolled my eyes. I thought _I_ was dramatic, considering I was an actress, but Alex took it to a new level. I grabbed my phone and saw that I had a text from Darcy. I clumsily unlocked my phone and smiled when I opened the text. It was a picture of Colton holding Philip. My heart just about melted. While Colton wasn't the biggest fan of Alex-he swore that I could do better and nearly pitched a fit when he found out that we were going to have a baby-he was enamored with Philip. He came over almost every day after school to see him. I think he was excited about having another boy in the family.

"We made a pretty cute kid," Alex murmured, turning to see the picture. He kissed my cheek and grabbed the phone from me. I sighed as he sent the picture to himself. He had an entire album on his phone dedicated to Philip. I thought I would be the doting parent, but Alex clearly had me beat in that category. I curled up next to him and closed my eyes. Maybe staying in bed wouldn't be so bad after all.

"We sure did."


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again, my lovelies! I don't really have much to say except that it's really refreshing to write fluff instead of angst. My heart feels all warm and fluffy. Hopefully you lovely people enjoy the chapter! Oh, and if anyone has ideas for chapters, let me know. I have a bit of a history with incorporating my readers' ideas into chapters. ~Shaymie**

* * *

 _Alex_

"Behave yourself this time, Alex," Lo scolded me as she fixed my tie. I rolled my eyes and looked down at my wife, who was staring up at me, her gray eyes steely. I wish I didn't have to come to these stupid company parties, but for whatever reason they were required. I would much rather spend my Saturday night at home with my wife and son instead of with a bunch of nosy assholes. Maybe I could drink enough to get sick and we'd have to come home early. I'd gladly take the hangover.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, loosening my tie slightly. Lo always tied it a bit too tight. She narrowed her eyes at me and turned to the mirror to finish applying her makeup. She had stopped once she noticed that I was having trouble with my tie. I sat in a chair next to her and watched her face. Something about her had changed since high school. She was more confident now. She was practically glowing. She was… radiant. I found myself falling more in love with her every day.

"You broke Thomas' nose at the last party and poured a glass of wine over Aaron's head. It's a miracle you weren't arrested." I frowned. Most of the last party we went to had been a big blur. It was when Philip was sick, and I wasn't particularly in the best of moods. I had gone straight to the bar and clocked out almost immediately. When I finally came to, Lo was wiping vomit from my face and muttering angrily to herself in Spanish.

"Fine, fine. I'll try not to drink too much," I sighed. Guess I'd have to go it sober. Lo nodded and turned back to the mirror, a small grin on her face. I watched as she grabbed some sort of egg thing and started dabbing it on her face. I didn't really understand makeup and why it took so long, but I knew that my wife didn't like to be rushed. Besides, anything that put off our arrival to the party was okay in my book.

"Dad's working on starting a law firm of his own since he's all worn out from politics," Lo murmured, grabbing a tube of light pink lipstick. She didn't like bold colors. "Maybe you'll be able to get a job working with him. I know how much you hate working under King. And at least if you work with Dad, we'll be going to parties with people we know."

"I hope so," I sighed. I didn't even know how I ended up working underneath King. I thought his father was just the principal of our high school, but I guess he also owned a firm that he decided to pass down to his son. King had mellowed out a bit since high school, but he was still as dramatic as ever. He felt the need to throw company parties for anything and everything and made them mandatory to attend. I think this one was because his dog had puppies.

"Alex, honey, can you check on Pip? He's been quiet for awhile." I nodded and left the room for the nursery. Lo had insisted on decorating it in what she called "gender neutral colors", even after we knew we were having a son. She had enlisted the help of Laurens for picking out the colors. I smiled as I found our son sitting in the corner of his room, chewing on a stuffed animal. He was an escape artist when it came to his crib. He always found a way out.

I knelt in front of him and smiled. He was a handful, but he was _our_ handful. I wouldn't trade him for anything in the world. He looked up at me and giggled as he reached up to tug on my tie. He still hasn't spoken a word. I couldn't help but be a bit worried. He was already a year old. Shouldn't he have at least said mama or papa or _something_? He didn't even babble that much. Clover was a chatterbox compared to him.

"Maybe you're a person of few words like your mother." I smiled as he wobbled past me towards his blocks in the corner. Sophia said that Lo had been a pretty quiet baby, but it was hard to tell if she was like that because of how she was or because of her living conditions. I was determined for Philip to have a better childhood than Lo and I had. He was going to have the best damn childhood ever if I had a say in it.

"Alex, Eliza's here." Lo poked her head in the door, a gentle smile on her face. "We should probably get going. I can probably finish my makeup in the car."

"I loved your performance last night, Lorin," King drawled, taking a long swig of his drink. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and looked down into my glass. I had lost track of just how many I've already had. However many it was, I was probably going to have a lot more if King lingered around much longer. Didn't he have some important figureheads to talk to? What was he doing hanging around in a corner with us?

"Thank you, George," Lo answered politely, a small smile on her face. She refused a drink when a server offered it to her and sighed when I grabbed two from the tray. She gave me a pointed look and looked up at King. "I didn't even know you were there. You should have told me you were coming. I could have gotten you a front row seat."

"I was in the front row, dear. You must not have noticed. You did seem a bit distracted last night." King's attention turned to something across the room. He patted Lo's shoulder and set his glass down on a nearby table. "We'll have to finish this another time. Sammy needs me."

Lo sighed as he walked off and lowered herself into a chair. I frowned. Lo almost never let anything get in the way of her performances. If a nimrod like King could notice that something was wrong, then it must be serious. But… Why wouldn't Lo tell me about it? Was it some theatre thing that she was legally obligated to not talk about? Was she cast in a new show? I couldn't imagine her leaving the one she's in now. She said that playing Nina helped her embrace her roots.

"He's gotten nicer since high school, but he's still tiring to be around." Lo nodded in King's general direction and narrowed her eyes at the glasses in my hand. "If you dump either of those over someone's head, your drunk ass is taking a separate Uber home."

"Loosen up, Lo!" I offered her the glass I hadn't taken a sip from and frowned when she shook her head. She hated these parties almost as much as I did and never passed up a chance to get drunk. The only difference between us was that she knew her limit. So why was she turning away like the thought of drinking was making her sick? "What's wrong, love?"

"I think I'm pregnant," she whispered, her hand going up to the chain on her necklace. Her voice got choked up, the way it always did before she started to cry, but there were no tears in her eyes. "I-I don't know. I just know that I'm late and… and I'm almost never late. Alex, the apartment is barely big enough for us and Philip. What are we going to do with another baby?"

"We'll figure it out, love. Everything will be alright, I promise."


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, my lovelies! This chapter is a bit of a shorter one. Hopefully y'all don't mind. I've been trying to find the right length to make these chapters so the length may vary. Hopefully you lovelies enjoy and I'll see you next time! ~Shaymie**

 _Lorin_

"You may be the only Broadway star that even bothers to make YouTube videos." Alex set down the laundry basket and sat next to me on the couch. I blushed. It always embarrassed me when I was referred to as a star. I knew I should be used to it by now, especially considering I've won a _Tony_ , but it was still hard to believe. I never would have dreamed I'd get this far in life. I never thought I would ever be able to talk in front of people normally, let alone _perform_ for them.

"It's nice to get a chance to do something different sometimes." I kissed my husband's cheek and smiled as I turned back to my computer. Eliza, John, and I had done a mash-up of Why Should I Worry and King of New York. It had already been done before, but we wanted to put our own spin on it. I was quite proud of the result."I can tell by the silence that you managed to get Pip to bed."

"I don't know how you manage to do that every night," Alex groaned, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands. "That took forever."

"Maybe it would be easier if you came home instead of spending nights at the office," I hummed, saving the progress I had made in editing the video. It was a low blow, I knew, since he was working on an important case, but I wanted my husband home. I hate sleeping alone. That was when my nightmares started, and I had been having more of them lately. Maybe it was selfish of me to want Alex home just so I could stop having bad dreams, but they were honestly terrifying.

"I'm sorry, Lo. I'll make it up to you, I promise." Alex's face crumbled as he grabbed my hands. I shook my head and smiled. He didn't have to make up for anything. I should just stop being so dramatic. I've slept on my own before. I wasn't a child who needed to have her hand held every second of the day. "It's been awhile since we've spent time together as a family, hasn't it? I'll take off work early tomorrow and we can just hang out."

"Alex, you don't have to-"

"I want to. You and Philip and this little one," he rubbed my rounded stomach lovingly, "should be my priority. I'm sorry I haven't been around, love."

"I'm not asking you to skip out on work or anything, Alex. I know how important your work is. I just… I want to see you more. It's like we barely see each other." My eyes filled with tears. I swiped at them angrily. Damn hormones. Alex kissed my forehead and pulled me into a hug. I breathed in the comforting scent of his cologne. It was almost always enough to calm me down when I started to get worked up. I was getting better at managing to stay calm,

"I'm here now, Lo. And I'll be here tomorrow," Alex whispered soothingly, holding my head to his chest. I timed my breaths to the sound of his heartbeats and closed my eyes. I hadn't realized how late it was until now. The time seemed to fly by. It felt like only minutes ago I was at the studio, teaching kids piano. Darcy didn't understand why I did it, especially since I charged so low. I wasn't doing it for money. I wanted kids to learn the joy of music. Everyone deserves the right to a music education, and I knew they wouldn't get it from schools. The public education system sucked.

"You're the best husband in the world." It was hard to believe that years ago, I didn't think I deserved to be happy. I didn't think I deserved _this_. There were still days when I felt miserable-especially since my dosage for my antidepressants had been lowered with concern for the baby-but I could handle it. Darcy or Mama or even Gil was just a phone call away. They could help me not feel so alone in the world. The last time I had hurt myself was years ago, when I hadn't slept in days and stressed myself out over a test. A dumb reason, I know, but I hadn't exactly been thinking straight.

"And you're the best wife in the world." Alex planted a gentle kiss to my forehead as I fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Why hello there, my lovelies! I'm dropping in with your regularly scheduled angst chapter. Someone please get these characters away from me because all I do is hurt them. We'll be back to the fluff next chapter. Don't really know how long this collection of outtakes will be but it hopefully won't go past 20 chapters. Hopefully you lovelies enjoy! ~Shaymie**

* * *

 _Darcy_

"You look magnificent tonight, Darcelle." I looked up from my glass and smiled at Justin. He was one of my few friends in this business. Everyone else avoided me, either because they were intimidated by me or hated my guts. Being a model wasn't what I thought I would grow up to be, but it paid the bills. On the bright side, I worked with Herc now. I was one of the faces of his new fashion line, along with Justin.

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Darcy?" I downed the rest of the expensive wine and sighed. I was never a fan of these huge model parties. Not since that one New Year's party years ago. I still hadn't told anyone about what exactly had happened. Not even Lori. She had her own things to deal with and it was really no big deal. I was used to that kind of treatment.

Such was the price of beauty, I suppose.

I had heard it from guys back home all the time, some of the girls too. If I wasn't so _pretty_ and practically _begging for it_ , they wouldn't touch me. They wouldn't even give me a second glance. But because I was _me_ , they gave me hell. I had given up on trying to tell my father. It wouldn't fix anything, and it wasn't like he _cared_. Since I came out, he couldn't have cared less about me. He probably thought I deserved it. In his eyes, "bisexual" was interchangeable with "slut".

"Aw, but Darcelle rolls off the tongue better," Justin teased, ruffling my hair. I could tell that he was already buzzed. He had spent most of this party at the bar with Herc. If I was smart, I would have joined them instead of moping in the corner. Or maybe I wouldn't have even come. I missed my kids. Clover was a bit of a bully, and it was normally up to me to break up fights between her and Finn. How she managed to get into fights with an _infant_ , I would never know.

I had never thought of myself as being mother material. After the disaster of everything that happened with Mama, I was terrified at the idea of having my own children. When I found out I was pregnant with Clover, so many thoughts had run through my head. What if John left me? We were still in college. He could have not wanted the burden of a child. He surprised me by saying that he wanted to keep her, and that nothing could ever make him leave me. I truly didn't deserve him.

"Darcelle is what my father calls me, and I'd prefer to not think about him." I fixed my hair and straightened my back. There were paparazzi everywhere at this party and I couldn't risk them getting a bad picture of me. I didn't care much for the cheesy headlines they would write, but I knew that Lori hated them. I didn't want to stress her out when she was so close to giving birth. Or rather, so _overdue_. She was supposed to have her daughter over a week ago. Rachel Middle-Name-Yet-To-Be-Determined Hamilton wasn't even born yet and she was already more stubborn than her mother and father combined.

"Okay then, _Darcy_ ," Justin put special emphasis on my name and winked at me. I rolled my eyes as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder and leaned on me. He gestured around the room in a wide flourish. "Everyone here… is a stuck-up asshole. Except for you, me, and Mulligan."

"I think you should stop drinking for now, Justin," I frowned as he grabbed a shot from a nearby table and downed it. I apologized to the couple sitting there and dragged my idiotic friend out to the balcony. He got a bit wild when he was drunk. I heard cameras clicking behind us and sighed as I closed the large glass doors. At least nobody had followed us out here.

I breathed in the crisp night air and shivered. It was a bit chilly and Herc hadn't given me a shawl or anything to wear with this dress. Then again, he probably wasn't expecting for me to spend more than five seconds outside. I don't even think we're supposed to be out on the balcony, but it's too late for anyone to do anything about it. What's the worst they could do, kick us out of the hotel? At least I'd be able to go home with my kids.

"You know, I won't always be around to bail your drunk ass out of situations like that." I sighed at the cold. It was March. If I was back in Texas, it would be hot enough to melt your skin off. Sometimes I missed home. If the people were better, I would visit. I knew John was curious about the place I grew up. But I couldn't stomach the idea of going back to that place, where everyone viewed me as an abnormality. I didn't want Clover and Finn around that negativity.

"You need to loosen up a bit," Justin laughed as he looked down at me. "Just because you have kids doesn't mean you can't have a little fun."

"Justin-" He cut me off with a kiss, his arms wrapping around my waist. I tried to get away, but his grip was surprisingly strong for someone who was drunk. I turned my head away from him and tried to remember what I had learned in my self-defense classes. Damn it! What was the point of signing myself up for those dumb lessons if I blanked when I needed it? All I could think about was that this was happening _again_ , when I swore I would become stronger to prevent it.

My face heated up as Justin roughly groped my chest. Everything after that was a blur. I could remember screaming at him until my throat was raw. I remember Herc pulling me away from him and leading me back inside. I remember the flashing of the cameras as we passed by the paparazzi. I remember the feeling of Justin's blood underneath my nails. Herc was surprisingly gentle as he led me to the bathroom. One glare from him was enough to shut up anybody complaining about him being in the girl's bathroom.

"I'm going to call John," he said, handing me a wet paper towel. I started wiping away my ruined makeup and sniffled. I looked pitiful. I wanted to be a strong role model for Clover, but how could I do that if I broke down after someone put their hands on me? Lori had told me stories of guys-mostly teenagers-waiting for her at the stage door, only to grope her or make some crude remark about her breasts. And what does she do? She just… walks away. She's stronger than me. She's been through hell and back, but she still manages to hold her head high.

 _Why can't I do the same?_


	5. Chapter 5

**I said there was going to be fluff and then this happened. Fluff will continue next chapter for reals, when we move forward in time a little bit. Hopefully you lovelies stay along for the ride! ~Shaymie**

 _Alex_

"So Darcy just… quit?" I looked at my wife, who was stretching on some kind of bar she had gotten installed at her studio. To be honest, I didn't know anything about dancing. She tried to get me signed up for classes, but I was just too busy with work. "Are you sure she's the right person to work with you?"

I leaned against the wall, appreciating the view of my wife as she stretched. She was taking ballet and tap dancing and every other dancing class under the sun, and because of that she was more flexible than ever. It seemed like every spare moment she had was spent either stretching or practicing her dancing. Lo worked insanely hard to stay in shape, and she was trying to lose the weight she had gained from being pregnant with Rachel.

"She's going to be the dance teacher. That's what she went to college for anyway." Lo stopped stretching when Rachel started crying and rushed over to her crib. She decided to bring Rachel to the studio sometimes while Eliza had Philip at the bakery, which meant that I had to build another crib.

"So she's just going to stop being a model? I thought she liked working with Herc." Lo's brows furrowed as she made Rachel a bottle. She was scared to breastfeed since she was taking Prozac again. She had stopped taking it during her third trimester, and it took a toll on her. She was always tired and cranky. She wanted to stay off of it long enough to breastfeed, but her psychiatrist had advised against it.

"She liked working with him, but she hated her job. She'll be happy doing this. Everyone else is following their dreams, so why shouldn't Darcy get the chance to do that?" Lo asked, smiling down at our daughter. Even with her hair falling slightly out of its ballerina bun and her face sweaty, she was beautiful. Stunning, even. I don't think bad angles exist for her. I kissed her cheek and looked down at Rachel. She was only a few months old, and she already looked like her namesake. Every time I looked at her, she reminded me of my mother.

"I didn't take her to be the dancing type. I mean, you're taking so many dance classes I can't keep up. Why can't you teach the dance class?" Lo exhaled deeply as she burped Rachel. Her shoulders were tense as she laid our daughter back into her crib. She fell asleep almost immediately, her thumb in her mouth. The only times she cried were when she was hungry, wet, or if Philip took her toys.

"I can't _do_ everything, Alex!" she whisper-yelled, going back over to the bar. I followed her and frowned as she refused to look at me, instead choosing to focus on her reflection. "I've been doing eight shows a week, watching the kids, managing the studio, and I have to stay in shape for work. It's too much and I'm _tired_. I need help, and Darcy needs a job. It works out for everyone."

"Why didn't you tell me you needed help with the kids? I could have taken off from work or something-"

"I didn't tell you because you're never home! Some days it feels like you're married to your work instead of me! You're always at work and even when you're home, it's all you can talk about! If I wanted to hear about court cases, I would just play Phoenix Wright again. You promised to be here for us, but you're as distant as ever. You almost missed the birth of our _daughter_ because you had your phone on silent! I shouldn't have had to call Aaron to be able to reach you, Alexander!"

Alexander. I was never Alexander to her. It was always Alex or Al, occasionally Lexy. I hadn't been Alexander to her in years. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply as she turned a stereo on. I hadn't even noticed it was there. Classical music flooded through the studio as she started dancing. Her face was still angry, but her movements were anything but. Every spin and twirl was graceful and calculated. But she was ignoring me. I checked my watch. My lunch break was almost over.

"Lo, I'm sorry-"

"Sorry doesn't mean anything, Alexander. You could apologize a million times and it doesn't mean anything if nothing changes." Lo gave me a side glance, her silvery eyes piercing into my soul. "Just leave me alone. I'm sure you're missing a lot of work and that's clearly your priority, isn't it?"

I was going to find a way to make this up to her, even if it killed me.

* * *

"Is there any particular reason my sister refuses to talk to you?" I looked up as I heard Darcy's voice and frowned as she set a brown paper bag on my desk. She looked like she had just come back from the gym, dressed in a crop top and leggings. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail. She raised an eyebrow at the way I was eying the bag up and laughed."Don't worry, it's not a bomb or anything. It's your lunch. Lori told me to bring it to you. I don't know what you did to piss her off, but she doesn't want to see you."

"I haven't been the most… attentive of husbands. Darcy, do you think I work too much?"

"Dude, you didn't know Lori was pregnant with Philip for like four months," Darcy scoffed at me and sat down on the desk as I opened the bag. Even when Lo was mad at me, she still made me lunch… "Lori misses you. You haven't been to our weekly gatherings in months. But you know who's always there? Aaron. And he works in the same damn building as you! If he can find the time to leave work, why can't you?"

"Darcy, I've been trying-"

"She has given you everything! Her heart, her body… She's given you two beautiful children and you don't pay any attention to them! I've kept quiet about everything until now because it's your business, but I can see how much this is hurting my sister. You have to choose what's more important to you, Alexander."

Darcy jumped down from the desk and left my office, slamming the door behind her. My hand bumped against a photograph. I looked down at it and sighed. It was a picture Lo had us take shortly after Rachel was born. Philip had been rowdy the whole day and would only stay still for the picture if I held him. He had been so excited to see me… Lo said that he wouldn't stop talking about getting to see me.

I started packing up my things. I had to make this right. I was so focused on trying to not be a deadbeat like my father, I was neglecting my family. I didn't want Philip and Rachel to grow up, wondering why I was never home. I didn't want to leave Lo alone to take care of everything. What good was working to provide for my family if I never saw them? Work was temporary, but family was forever. I could go through a hundred different jobs, but I only had one family.

"What's the big rush?" Burr asked as I passed him by the coffee machine. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I fucked things up with Lo and I have to fix it. Can you cover for me if King asks where I am?" Burr smiled and nodded. I sighed in relief and checked my watch. It was half past noon. If I hurried, I might be able to catch Lo outside the theater. I ran as fast as I could in my uncomfortable dress shoes. Thankfully King was such a fan of Broadway, he decided to have the office close to it. Lo was so close everyday and I hadn't even thought of visiting her…

I bumped into someone as I approached the theater. My briefcase fell to the ground, sending papers flying everywhere. I sighed and gathered them up as quickly as I could. I didn't have time for this. A freckled hand tapped mine and handed me a stack of papers. I looked up and blinked. What was Lo doing here? I put my papers away and helped my wife to her feet. I brushed some of the gravel from her hands and held them tightly.

"I'm so sorry, love," I whispered, kissing her cheek. She remained as stone-faced as ever, her gray eyes narrowing. "Lorin, I love you. And I love Philip and Rachel. I love all of you more than anything in the world. I'm sorry for everything, love. I want to make it up to you. From here on out, I promise that I'll focus on you and the kids. No more bringing work home. No more late nights at the office."

"I don't want empty promises, Alex. I'm used to men lying to me, which is an awful thing to get used to. I want to believe you since you're my husband, but I also don't want to be a pushover. It's going to take more than words to get me to believe you." Lo cleared her throat and grabbed a thermos that she must have dropped. "I just came here to bring your coffee. Darcy left it and I know how much you hate the coffee at work. I… I hope you don't let me down."

"I'll do whatever it takes to earn your trust back, Lo. I love you."


	6. Chapter 6

Hello again, my lovelies! I'm back again with another chapter! It's not particularly the best I've ever written, but I'm trying to get out of my emotional slump by writing. I've been feeling a little bit better, so hopefully y'all won't be stuck with garbage writing like this because I honestly hate how I ended this chapter. I'm going to go listen to Glee covers and attempt to be productive. Hope you lovelies enjoy! ~Shaymie

* * *

 _Lorin_

"The theme for the recital is Disney," Darcy announced with a loud clap of her hands. Everyone's heads popped up to look at her, even my piano students. I smiled. My sister always could command a room. She looked around the room, a satisfied glimmer in her eye when she saw that she had everyone's attention. "That could be anything from the animated classics to the TV movies. If you want to do a routine based entirely on High School Musical, then go for it. Any questions?"

"Did you pick Disney because of Auntie Lo?" Clover asked, looking up at her mother with a mischievous little grin. All of our kids were enrolled in classes at the studio, partly so we didn't have to pay a babysitter and partly because they wanted to. Clover and Rachel took dance classes, Finn only took piano classes, and Philip, the overachiever, took both. It was sometimes hard balancing Philip's classes here and his soccer classes, but we managed to make it work.

" _We_ picked Disney because it's something nice and easy, Clover. Any other questions? No? Then the rest of class is free time." Darcy sighed as the class broke out in raucous conversation as everyone started planning out their routines. Clover was standing in front of a group of her friends, talking excitedly about something, her hands gesturing wildly as she spoke. She was only seven, but sometimes it felt like she was older. I could see a lot of Darcy in her.

Finn walked over to me and sat next to me on the piano bench without a word. He wasn't the most social child on the planet, and it took him some time to get comfortable with people. I ruffled his curly hair and chuckled as he batted my hand away. He looked so much like Philip, people thought they were brothers, but they were complete opposites in terms of personality. The only thing they had in common aside from their looks was their intense protectiveness of Rachel.

I looked up as the bell above the door rang, signalling someone's arrival. I peeked above the piano and grinned when I saw Alex walking towards me, carrying a bag from Eliza's bakery. He had stayed true to his word and took occasional time off from work. There were still some days when he would come home late, but he didn't spend nights at the office anymore. I considered that an improvement. After all, nothing could really stop Alexander Hamilton from working.

"What are you doing here?" I asked as he set the bag down on top of the piano and kissed my cheek. Finn waved at him shyly. He was still awkward around him. Alex ignored the question and started taking things out of the bag. I raised an eyebrow as he started pulling out sweets of every kind. He didn't have much of a sweet tooth, and the expression on his face was awfully suspicious...

"Something may have happened at work and I don't want you to panic. But… I won't be going to work for a week or two. I'm kind of… suspended."

"Alexander Hamilton, what on earth did you do?" Finn slipped away the second I raised my voice, choosing to hang out with his cousins. I took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of my nose. This was going to put a damper on the news I had for him. I rubbed my stomach absentmindedly and narrowed my eyes at my husband when he offered me a cinnamon roll. He knew they were my favorite thing from the bakery. It was clearly a bribe.

"...I may have punched John Adams," he admitted sheepishly. "But it's not my fault! I mean, I couldn't help it. Everyone was talking about that interview you did the other day about your thoughts on gun control and Adams said something rude about you and I just… punched him. George managed to talk him into not pressing charges, but I can't go to work until he gets better. George thinks some time apart is best."

"What the hell, Alex?" I hissed. I grabbed the cinnamon roll from his hand and took an angry bite, shaking my head. He had promised he was going to work on his temper. He even got a gym membership just so he could take his anger out on punching bags instead of people. I was worried Philip or Rachel would take after him in the anger department. As it was, Philip already bossed Finn around, and at least once a week he would get into a fight with Clover over a toy.

"Lo, it's not as bad as it seems. It's paid leave, and I can work from home-"

"We agreed you weren't going to bring work home anymore."

"It won't be a lot of work, I promise. It's just a few reports, something to keep me busy. George knows that I'd go crazy if I didn't have something to do." I cracked a small smile at that. If he wasn't working, I knew he would probably complain up a storm. Alex sat next to me and kissed my forehead. I took his hand and stood up, grabbing my purse from the piano. Darcy glanced over at me curiously and raised an eyebrow. I nodded and started to lead Alex towards one of the unused practice rooms. I couldn't wait any longer to tell him the news.

"Lo, what's going on?" Alex asked as I closed the door behind us and locked it. "Are you trying to convince me to have sex with you, because there's children here and I don't think that's appropriate-"

"I'm pregnant." Alex stared at me, wide-eyed, his mouth slightly agape. I reached into my purse and pulled out the ultrasound. He took it from me with shaky hands and looked at it intently, tears in his eyes. "I thought I was just gaining weight since I haven't been working out much, so I didn't think anything of it. But then I realized that I had missed my period."

"How long have you known?"

"Since this morning. I told Darcy and she rushed me straight to the doctor. She didn't want to waste time with a pregnancy test. I'm twelve weeks along." Alex ran his fingers over the ultrasound, a dreamlike expression on his face. I sat down and smiled as he put a hand on my stomach. We were going to have a third child… I had always wanted a big family, and Alex said that he didn't mind how many children we had as long as they were happy and healthy.

"We're going to need a bigger place," Alex said, wiping his tears away with the back of his hand. He leaned over and kissed me. "The apartment won't be big enough for us and three kids."

"We had enough trouble finding an apartment you liked. Finding a house is going to be torture."

"Not true!" Alex huffed, pulling me to my feet. "It's going to be easy. I've mellowed out a lot since college."

"Says the guy who's suspended from work for punching a coworker."


	7. Chapter 7

**This is an outtake that I had written half of and threw to the side, but I decided to finish it and post it because I honestly think the world deserves as much of little Philip and Rachel as it can get. Because I wrote like half of two separate chapters, the next one should be fairly soon and it's a bit of a doozy. I know I say that about a lot of things, but like... I mean it. Be prepared, y'all. I hope you lovelies enjoy this and I should hopefully see you in a few days. ~Shaymie**

* * *

"I thought Alex hated sweets." Eliza wiped at her forehead with the back of her flour-covered hand and smiled down at Philip and Rachel, who were bickering over who had the prettier nail color. Rachel had painted her nails nails a light shade of purple and Philip, not wanting to be left out, asked for her to paint his nails too. He had chosen a dark shade of blue. Alex somehow got roped into the nail painting and grudgingly let Rachel paint his nails green.

"Honestly, I think your sweets are the only ones he'll eat. And it's his birthday so he's obligated to eat at least one cupcake," I said as Eliza closed the box of cupcakes. I had ordered two dozen cupcakes for everyone at the office. Which, in hindsight, was a pretty dumb idea since I had to carry them all the way there. The car was in the shop because _someone_ (Alex) had a very intense bout of road rage and rammed it into someone else's car. It was a miracle he hadn't gotten hurt or arrested.

Eliza's gaze went from the cupcakes to my rounded stomach. I groaned. Whenever I was pregnant, everyone treated me like I was some fragile little thing. Just because I was short didn't mean I was weak. Alex had refused to let me do anything when we moved to our new house, and it was infuriating. Has he forgotten that I have more muscle than him?

I turned to the door as the little welcome bell rang and smiled as I saw Darcy. She held the door open as Clover ran in, dragging Finn behind her. Philip bounced excitedly on his heels and pulled Finn away from his sister. I sighed. My poor nephew got pushed around by nearly everyone. It didn't help that he was the shortest of the bunch, tied only with Rachel. I kept telling him to stand up for himself, but he said he didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings.

"Good afternoon, 'Liza!" Darcy strolled up to the counter and grinned down at me. "What's up, Lori?"

"Just getting Alex some things for his birthday. I know he doesn't like making a big deal over it, but still…" I frowned. Alex always insisted on throwing me parties or showering me with gifts for my birthday, but he hated when anybody tried to do anything for him. Every year I tried to think of something new to surprise him with. I couldn't do anything last year since he was out of town for some conference, but this year would be different. I had asked Dad to assign someone else to leave for the yearly conference so I could celebrate my husband's birthday in person and not over a video call.

"You got him two dozen cupcakes?" Darcy asked, raising an eyebrow. "I know the guy's skinny, but I didn't think you would try fattening him up."

"They're not just for him." I grabbed the boxes of sweets from Eliza, faltering under their weight slightly. Darcy took them from my arms, carrying them easily. I huffed. I could have handled it on my own. My sister rolled her eyes and shifted the boxes in her arms slightly. She made it look so easy… I could do that if I wasn't pregnant. I'm only five months along, but because I was so short, I looked bigger than that.

"Lori, you weren't seriously thinking of _walking_ there with these, were you?" Her eyes narrowed even more when I shrugged and looked away. "You're too stubborn for your own good sometimes. I'll give you a ride to the office, okay?"

"...Okay," I sighed, looking over at the kids. There was no saying no to Darcy sometimes. She called out to the kids and started walking out of the bakery. I shook my head as Clover and Philip argued over who got to hold the door open for her. They came to a quick compromise of holding both doors open together after Darcy snapped at them. Rachel and Finn sighed and followed closely behind their older siblings. I waved to Eliza before making my way to the car.

Darcy nagged me the whole drive to the office, telling me that I shouldn't be afraid to ask her for help and I shouldn't overwork myself. As much as I hated to admit it, this pregnancy was taking a bit of a toll on me. My feet swelled up more often and my hormones were out of control. Just last night I had broken down in tears because we didn't have anything sweet to eat. It took Alex thirty minutes to calm me down, and the fridge had been stocked with ice cream when I woke up this morning. He must have gone to the store after I fell asleep.

"You worry too much, Darcy," I laughed as she pulled into a parking spot. She gripped the steering wheel tightly and turned to look at me with fire in her eyes.

"I have every right to worry about you, Lori. You can barely take care of yourself, and it's not like Alex is much better. You two are like a couple of kids taking care of kids. If I didn't text you every morning reminding you to take your medicine, you probably wouldn't take it." She smiled at me as she unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the car door. She grabbed the cupcakes from my lap and shrugged. "I'm an older sister, you know. It's in my blood to worry about you and Colton."

"But Mama's old, too," Philip piped up as the children started piling out of the car. "She can take care of herself."

"You should never call a lady _old_ , Philip. That's extremely rude." Clover narrowed her eyes at her cousin and huffed as we walked into the building. I put a hand on my stomach and frowned. Darcy did kind of have a point. We were both so busy with our jobs and the kids, we didn't take any time towards ourselves. I couldn't even remember the last time we had gone on a date. It had to be almost a year ago.

"What are you doing here, Lo?" Alex looked up from whatever paper he had been talking about with Aaron and got up from his seat. Darcy walked over to the table and set the cupcakes down, taking care not to disturb their papers. Aaron nodded gratefully at her and took a sip from his mug. He almost looked relieved to have his work interrupted. I knew from experience how exhausting a day with my husband could be.  
"I wanted to surprise you and make sure that you weren't working too hard. It's your birthday, Lexy. You can afford to take a break." I closed the distance between us and grabbed his hand. It was covered in ink stains and calluses. I shook my head as I kissed it. He worked himself far too hard sometimes. We needed to go on a vacation or something.

"Me and Pippy made these for you." Rachel reached into her purse and pulled out the paper flowers she and Philip had spent all last night making. Alex took them gingerly and tucked them into the front pocket of his suit. Surprisingly, they fit perfectly without falling out. "It took a lot of colored paper because we kept messing up."

"They're beautiful, you two." He knelt down and pulled both her and Philip into a hug. My children grinned at me from over his shoulder. They had been so worried he wasn't going to like their flowers, it took me half an hour to convince them to leave the house. They could give their father literal dirt and he would thank them. They were his pride and joy.

"Are they enough to make you leave work early?" I asked, looking up at him with the best puppy dog eyes I could muster. He set the kids down and sighed as he nodded. I grinned. Even after all these years, the puppy dog eyes worked like a charm. Philip and Rachel cheered and high fived each other. Alex put his hands on my waist and kissed me warmly.

"Thanks for this, Lo. I don't know where I'd be without you."


	8. Chapter 8

**So I'm thinking there's going to be maybe around 15 outtakes or so. I hope you lovelies stick around long enough to get through all of them and to the sequel. And I know this is a bit random and weird, but I was thinking of writing a 'What If' version of A Silent Voice, with some of the ideas I originally had and then scrapped later. It probably wouldn't be out for awhile, but I was talking to some of my friends and they told me not to let the ideas go to waste so I'm considering it. Let me know if any of you would be interested in reading that. And now, onto your regularly scheduled angst. Please forgive me for always hurting my beans. ~Shaymie**

* * *

 _Darcy_

"I'm surprised you let John and the kids go to E3 without you," my sister murmured as she made her son a bottle. Alexander John Hamilton, AJ for short, had been born sickly and underweight. According to Lori, he was named after the two most important men in her life. Lafayette was upset the baby hadn't been named after him, but Lori still held a grudge over when he laughed at her for getting stuck on the couch. He should have known better than to laugh at a cranky, hormonal pregnant woman. My sister's pettiness truly knew no bounds. I sat next to her and looked at my nephew. He was still so tiny… The doctors hadn't thought that he would make it long, but Lori and Alex wouldn't take that for an answer.

"I guess I just wasn't feeling L.A." I shrugged in what I hoped was in a half hearted manner. Lori looked up at me, an eyebrow quirked and her lips pursed. Of course she could read me like a book. She set AJ down in his rocker and narrowed her eyes. I bit my lip anxiously. I had stayed home to talk to her, but I couldn't even bring myself to say anything. Lori grabbed my hand and squeezed it.

"We both know there's a bigger reason for you not going. It has to be important if it keeps you from John's first press event. You can tell me, Darcy. I won't judge you."

"...That convention takes place on the anniversary of something terrible," I whispered, wrapping my arms around myself. I hated the way tears formed in my eyes. I took a deep breath and steeled myself. This was it. I had to tell her. It was the whole reason I had stayed behind. I couldn't just back out now.

 _It was the night of graduation and I was at the biggest party I'd ever seen, sipping a cup of beer. For some reason, I had been invited even though I knew that my fellow seniors hated me. I was graduating at the ripe age of 16, and they despised me for that. They hated that I was smarter than them, that I had dozens of offers and scholarships from the fanciest colleges in the country. I heard their whispers about me._

"A brain that big is wasted on a slut like her."

"She probably fucked every teacher in the school."

"That dyke doesn't deserve to graduate."

 _I dropped my cup in the trash and grabbed my coat. I couldn't stand being here anymore. They could say what they wanted about me. While they were probably going to be stuck in this pathetic town their whole lives, I was going places. Any university would be happy to have me, and I was going to pick one as far away from this place as soon as possible. Far away from the hate. Far away from the judging eyes._

 _Far away from my father._

 _I was roused from my thoughts by a cold hand grabbing mine. I turned and sighed when I saw Corinne, head cheerleader and bitch extraordinaire, swaying dangerously on her heels. We had messed around sometimes, but it had never evolved into anything serious. I looked her up and down with a scowl. She had clearly had too much to drink, evidenced by her mussy blonde hair and smudged makeup._

" _Can you drive me home?" she asked with a hiccup, her words slurring together. I gripped her shoulders to steady her. "I want to go home, but Damian doesn't want to leave yet. Asshole."_

 _Damian was her douchey jock boyfriend. I couldn't understand why she stayed with him when she clearly didn't love him. She wouldn't cheat on him with me if she did. I looked her over one last time. While I was eager to get home, I couldn't leave her like this. If she tried to walk home drunk and got hurt somehow, it would haunt my conscience. I guess I didn't have a choice. As if this night couldn't get any worse._

 _Getting Corinne into the car was a challenge. She wouldn't stop kissing me and running her hands all over my body. I glared at her as she slipped her hands under my dress and pushed her into the passenger seat a bit more roughly than was necessary. If it was any other night, I would be glad to fool around with her. But I wasn't in the mood now. I just wanted to go home and sleep and hopefully avoid my father._

" _Hey there, sexy," Corinne murmured, squeezing one of my breasts as I buckled her in. My face flushed. She knew just what made me tick. I closed the door and got into the driver's seat. She pouted as I started leaving the driveway and ran her hands over my thigh. I was regretting wearing such a short dress. It was no wonder everyone called me a slut. I dressed like one._

" _I know you want me, Darcelle." Corinne's voice was a purr as she trailed her hand up my dress, lightly tracing the waistband of my panties. I shifted as best I could and slammed the gas. Something told me that she wouldn't take no for an answer. She was a spoiled bitch, and her bitchiness only increased when she was drunk. "Why don't you pull over and we can have a little bit of fun? It's our last chance, after all."_

I broke down in tears before I could even finish the story. Lori looked up at me in concern and grabbed a box of tissues from a side table. I accepted it gratefully and started drying my tears. It's a good thing I had decided to forego makeup today. I knew that tears would be involved one way or another. I took a shaky breath and sighed.

"Darcy, you don't have to finish if you don't want to," Lori murmured soothingly, grabbing my hand. I shook my head. I had to get this out there. I couldn't stand keeping it in anymore. Maybe it would be best to rip the proverbial Band-Aid off.

"She tried to rape me," I whispered, squeezing the damp tissue tightly. "Her room was upstairs so she asked me for help getting there. She locked the door behind us and dragged me to the bed… She was drunk so I got away easy, but it was the most terrifying thing I've ever been through."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" I knew the true meaning behind her words. 'Why didn't you tell _me_? We're sisters. We tell each other everything.' I bit my lip. I didn't know what to say. It would break her heart if I told her that I didn't think she'd believe me. I should have known better than that. She would have believed me. She would have tried to find a way to help me, even if she was states away. I should have had faith in her.

"Nobody in town would have believed me. Especially since nothing actually happened. And she would have found a way to turn it around on me, say that _I_ had tried to take advantage of _her_. Everyone already thought of me as the town slut." I started shredding the tissue and looked at my sister. "Lori, how did you manage to get past everything? How are you so… strong?"

"Everyone asks me that. So many people tell me that I inspire them and I don't understand why. I'm not _strong_. I… rely heavily on other people. I couldn't handle any of the things I went through on my own, and you shouldn't either. I know that it's probably too late for anything to be done about that awful woman, but it isn't too late for you to get some help."

Lori kissed my cheek and bent down to pick up AJ, who had started to fuss. She murmured soothingly to her son in Spanish, nuzzling his cheek lovingly. The doctors had suggested she do skin to skin with him for an hour every day, but she hated doing it around me. I didn't mind, but I guess she felt awkward showing so much skin. She closed her eyes as she continued talking to AJ, her voice never rising above a whisper. I was amazed at how quickly he calmed down.

I looked up as the front door opened. Philip and Rachel came barreling in, followed by Alex. Their faces were covered in melted ice cream, and Philip had a Spider-Man Band-Aid on his knee. I had no idea what they had been up to, but whatever it was must have been exciting. They were practically bouncing off the walls. I was surprised they managed to not upset AJ. He was one of the fussiest babies I had ever met, and I've had the honor of raising one Clover Frances Laurens.

"Aunt Darcy, are you okay?" Philip asked with that adorable lisp of his, a frown on his face. I squeezed the used tissue tightly and nodded. Sometimes I forgot just how observant my nephew was. He _was_ Lori and Alex's child, after all. He was the perfect blend between them in more than just the looks department. The only thing he didn't get directly from either of them was his hair, which looked exactly like Lori's father's.

"I'm fine, Pip. I'm just a bit tired." Philip gazed at me suspiciously, but a glare from his mother quieted anything he might have had to say. He grabbed his sister's hand and pulled her towards their rooms, muttering something about needing to get cleaned up. Alex walked over to me and Lori and gently grabbed AJ. He turned into a completely different man when it came to his kids. His expression softened, his muscles relaxed, and he looked about five years younger.

"Hey there, bud," he murmured, sitting in the rocking chair in the corner. He traced his finger over the newborn's cheek lovingly. "I hope you didn't give your mother too much trouble. I know you must be going stir crazy, but you can't go outside just yet. You need to get a little bit stronger. Not that you're not strong. You're the strongest baby I've ever met. I love you, son."

"If you ever need to talk to someone, I'm here," Lori whispered, grabbing my hands gently. She smiled up at me, tears shining in her eyes. "I know how hard it can be to talk about it. If you don't feel comfortable talking to John or someone else…"

"You're the best sister I could have ever asked for."


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello again, my lovelies! I've come to the realization that I'm running out of ideas for outtakes, so they may come to an end sooner than I thought. But that's kinda a good thing because that means we can roll right into the sequel. If there's anything you guys would like to see written, don't be afraid to tell me. There's only a few chapters left to set up for the sequel and then fun times will begin. See you lovelies soon and hopefully you enjoy! ~Shaymie**

* * *

 _Alex_

"Philip Hunter Hamilton, apologize to George right now." I peered down at my son over my glasses and shifted AJ in my arms, praying that he wouldn't wake up. He was sick, which made him crankier than normal. I looked at the other boy, who was holding an ice pack to his cheek. George Eacker (Jr) was about as irritating as his father, so I could understand why my son had finally lost his temper with him. But Lo would kill me if she found out that I didn't try to fix the situation. I didn't even know what led to our son punching the other boy, but I knew there had to be a good reason for it.

"I don' wanna," Philip huffed, kicking his feet angrily. He kept his gaze locked on the ground, a scowl on his face.

"Why not, Pip?"

"He called Mama gay because she kissed Aunt Mandy!" Philip pointed an accusing finger at the junior Eacker and glared at him, his cheeks puffing out adorably. "And he wouldn't stop when I told him to!"

I frowned. Lo had been on a talk show the other day (who the host was, I had no clue), and somehow the topic of conversation came to be about her first kiss. She had seemed flustered by the question, her cheeks showing up pink even through her makeup. From that point on, the interview turned away from her getting cast in a new show on Broadway to more personal things.

" _Mandy was my first crush," Lo admitted with a bit of a nervous chuckle. She twirled her hair around her finger and cleared her throat. Philip and Rachel looked up from their toys and stared at the TV curiously. Even AJ ceased his rolling around to pay attention._

" _But she was your sister," the host said, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. A murmur had spread throughout the crowd._

" _And I married the guy who was my foster brother." Lo held her head high, her composure regained. She crossed her legs and sat up a bit straighter in her seat. "I was thirteen. I didn't know many people and Mandy was the only friend I truly had. And when I was getting relocated to a new home, she said she wanted my first kiss to be from someone who loved me."_

" _Did you love her? I mean, are you…?" The host was tripping over his words, his face heating up. "We know that your sister is-"_

" _Bisexual? That seems to be all the media focuses on when it comes to her. But I haven't really thought about putting a label on myself. If I really had to, I guess I'd say that I'm… pansexual?"_

I didn't think any elementary school kids would spend their Saturday nights watching late night talk shows. The only reason my kids had seen the interview was because they happened to be in the room with me. They had gone back to playing with their toys after Lo performed her latest single, a cover of Everybody Hurts. The emotion in her singing broke my heart, and Rachel asked if Lo was sad.

"Philip-" I was cut off by a loud wail from AJ. Everyone in the principal's office turned to look at us. I looked around for his diaper bag, only to realize that I had left it in the car. I wasn't expecting him to wake up. I uttered a rushed apology and grabbed Philip's hand, practically dragging him out of the building. He barely managed to keep up and laughed as we ran to the car.

"Nice going, AJ!" he grinned, holding a hand up to his brother. AJ's crying subsided for a brief moment as he looked at Philip curiously. I somehow managed to unlock the car door with one arm and set AJ in his carseat. He tugged at my hair as I started making him a bottle and laughed at my exclamations of pain.

"Don't think you're off the hook, Philip." I handed AJ his bottle and buckled him in. Philip's face fell as he helped his brother with his bottle. AJ still wasn't old enough to hold it on his own. I sighed and shook my head. Lo was always better at handling these types of situations, but she was busy helping Jefferson and Madison look for a house.

"He was saying mean things about Mama," Philip frowned, tears welling up in his eyes. "And everyone was laughing 'cept for me and Theo. I didn't mean to hurt him that bad. I just wanted him to stop being mean."

"That's no reason to hit another student, Philip," I said sternly, though I could feel my resolve melting away as I looked at him. Damn, Lo was right. I really was the pushover parent. Whenever either of the kids misbehaved, she was always the one to set them straight. One thing they had gotten from their mother aside from the freckles was her ability to utilize puppy dog eyes perfectly.

My phone rang as I got settled behind the wheel. Darcy's contact photo lit up my screen as the ringtone she had picked out for herself (Somebody To Love, her favorite song) echoed throughout the car. I picked up the phone and answered, knowing how much she hated to be left waiting for long.

"Hello-"

" _Alex, I don't want you to panic, but something's happened to Lori."_ Her words sent a chill down my spine. I gripped the steering wheel and glanced back at my sons. AJ was already dozing off to sleep again, his head nodding as he fought against his exhaustion. Philip stared out the window, still holding the bottle for his brother. I hastily reminded him to buckle up before turning my attention back to the call.

"What happened, Darcy?"

" _They were at a red light and some asshole was getting chased by the cops and crashed into them. Thomas got the worst of it. He flew straight through the windshield because he was getting something from under the seat."_

"...And Lo?" I was almost afraid to ask, but if Jefferson got the worst of it… As selfish and terrible as it sounded, I was relieved. Philip turned to look at me, his eyes wide. He dropped AJ's bottle and gripped the back of my seat anxiously, speaking in rushed Spanish. I honestly couldn't catch half of it.

" _Is that Philip? Guess I only have to pick up Rachel now."_ Darcy cleared her throat, and I could hear her fingers tapping on something the way they did when she was thinking of what to say. " _Lori's a bit scratched up. She had to get some stitches and her left wrist is sprained, but other than that she's actually pretty lucky."_

I breathed a sigh of relief. My wife was safe. She was alive.


	10. Chapter 10

**I've been obsessing over this chapter because I think it's a bit too short, but I hated anything I added to it, so this chapter is going to be a bit shorter. But like, quality over quantity, right? I'm having a slight writers' crisis, someone please validate me. I feel very insecure. Imminent breakdowns aside, I'll see you lovelies soon. There's only a few chapters left before the sequel starts. Are y'all excited? ~Shaymie**

* * *

"Daddy, what's wrong with Mama?" Rachel asked as I closed my bedroom door as gently as I could. She looked up at me, a frown on her face and tears shining in her gray eyes. While Philip and AJ took after me in appearance—and in Philip's case, the anger department—Rachel was exactly like her mother. Kind, sweet, and patient, she tried to see the good in everybody.

"She's not feeling well. We should let her get some rest." Lo was going through one of her depressive phases, and I had learned that the best thing to do was leave her alone for a little while. Relapses like this worried me (and made me wonder what good her antidepressants did while she was pregnant), but she assured me that things would be fine and that she just got overwhelmed sometimes. I couldn't help but worry that she was spreading herself a bit thin. She had so much work to do and she put 110% of herself into it all. Surely that had to be exhausting. Maybe we were due for a vacation.

"She's sad again, isn't she?" Rachel frowned as we walked into the living room. I nodded and frowned at the way her face crumbled. Philip looked up from my laptop, which he had been using for... something. Honestly, it was hard to keep up with what he did. He went from one toy to another quicker than I could blink. I thought I was a busybody, but he took it to another level.

I looked up as the doorbell rang. I didn't think we were expecting anyone. Our friends always called before coming over. Lo and I were always so busy, they wanted to check if we were home before visiting. I walked to the door and opened it, barely holding back an eyeroll. Of all the people to visit, it just had to be Mandy. I hadn't seen her in awhile, but Lo kept in touch with her. They went out for lunch once a week.

Mandy fidgeted nervously, her hands clutched tightly around the strap of her oversized purse. I noticed some fading bruises on her face and frowned. What the hell happened to her? I heard a quiet whimper and noticed that her kids were with her. Rebecca and Tucker were twins, practically attached at the hip. Rebecca was holding a puppy that was so fluffy, I couldn't tell where its face started. I would have thought it was a stuffed animal if I couldn't see it breathing.

"I-I wasn't expecting to see you here," Mandy murmured with a frown. "Is Lorin here? I have to talk to her. It's important."

"What's so important that you had to come all the way here? Phones exist for a reason, Amanda." She flinched at my tone and took a small step back. I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. Lo would be furious if she found out I was rude to Mandy. I stepped to the side and gestured for her to come in. She entered the house somewhat reluctantly, followed by the twins. Rachel giggled excitedly, her previous tears forgotten. Rebecca was her best friend. Or maybe she was excited about the puppy. Lo didn't want to get another dog since she was still mourning the loss of Dumpling.

"I need to talk to you about something, Alexander." Mandy's voice was barely audible above the excited chattering of the kids. "Please. It's important."

I bit my lip and led her to the den. AJ looked up from his train set and pouted when I told him to join his siblings in the living room. He left in a huff, grumbling something about never getting time to himself. He had to be the most dramatic three year-old I had ever met. I turned off the train and sat down in an armchair. Mandy sat across from me, setting her purse in her lap.

"I need a lawyer. Long story short, I married some guy my mom set me up with because she 'doesn't approve' of me liking girls and I... I can't take it anymore. I could handle his insults, but I draw the line with him hitting me. No amount of money is worth staying with him. I don't care if my mother's paying off my student loans. I'll do it myself. I just... want a divorce. I know you're a lawyer, so you have to know someone who can help me—"

"I'll do it." She looked up at me, her eyes wide. No matter how much I disliked her, the thought of her getting hurt by her husband—even if he was a fake one—infuriated me. Maybe it's because it was easy to imagine Lo in the same situation, all those years ago. Whenever I saw the burn mark on her hand, it reignited the fire inside of me. Reynolds and Maria should be rotting in prison. I wanted nothing more than to track them down and get them locked up, but Lo told me to leave it alone and let the past stay in the past. I hated not doing anything, but I couldn't go against her wishes. If she could move on, then I should be able to do the same.

"I thought you hated me."

"Just because I dislike you doesn't mean I'd want to see you or your kids in danger. I'll help you with the divorce. You can even stay here if you need to." Mandy's eyes filled with tears as she looked at me. I smiled reassuringly and grabbed her hand. Nobody deserves to be abused, no matter how terrible of a person I thought they were. I don't know if she ever apologized to Lo for what she did all those years ago, but I do know that she hasn't tried anything since.

"Thank you, Alexander. This... means a lot to me."


	11. Chapter 11

**What's this? An angst-free chapter? I do have a soul! Hopefully you lovelies enjoy! I have maybe one or two outtakes left. Have you guys been enjoying them? Are they boring and you'd much rather prefer I just get on with the sequel? Let me know. See you lovelies later! ~Shaymie**

* * *

 _Darcy_

"It was amazing, Darcy!" Lori gushed, a wide smile on her face. "I got to meet some of the cast members from the original show! Lea Michele shook my hand! _The_ Lea Michele! I mean, now I think it's kinda creepy that I named Rachel after her since I've met her..."

I smiled supportingly at my sister. She had made her big movie debut by getting cast as the lead role in a movie adaptation of Spring Awakening. She didn't look a day over twenty (sometimes it was hard to believe she had just turned 31), which made her perfect for the role. She had spent a few months in Germany filming the movie, and it had its red carpet premiere a few days ago. It was all Lori could talk about.

"Alex must have had a field day at the premiere," I laughed, pouring myself another cup of coffee. He was a proud father, but an even prouder husband. Whenever Lori or the kids did anything, they were featured primarily on his social media for weeks. I don't think he's posted anything about himself in months.

"He wouldn't stop talking the entire time. I had to threaten to not have sex with him for a month to get him to shut up." Lori grinned evilly as she wrapped her hands around her mug of tea. I snorted. That honestly might be good for them. I couldn't imagine what it was like to have four kids (six if you count Mandy's kids, who were at her house so much they were basically hers). I had my hands full with two. I knew Lori had always wanted a big family. She was made for motherhood.

"Gross. I do _not_ want to hear my sisters talking about sex." Lori and I looked up as Colton walked into the room, his face bright red. I thought he had left with Alex, John, and the kids. Just earlier he was complaining about wasting his winter break by spending it cooped up inside. Mama and Christopher were off on some romantic cruise, so he was staying with me.

Colton grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and looked at us, an apprehensive expression on his face. He looked like a perfect mixture between his parents. He had the signature Haywood freckles and hair, but his eyes were the same shade of brown as Christopher's. I wish the age difference between us wasn't so huge. It felt like I didn't know my brother as well as I should.

"Is something wrong, Cole?" Lori asked, concern evident in her eyes. As usual, she was the first one to try and solve a problem. Colton set the water bottle down and rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. It was a nervous habit he had gotten from Christopher.

"I... I think I'm gay." The sentence came out as more of a question as he looked between Lori and I. I let out a breath I didn't even realize I was holding. That's what he was so nervous about? I was scared he was going to say that he'd done something illegal. He was a good kid most of the time, but he liked to stir up trouble sometimes. I couldn't count the amount of times Lori and I had gotten phone calls from his school because he's done something.

"Is that why you decided to wear rainbow socks today?" Lori pointed at our brother's feet with a tiny smirk on her face. Colton's cheeks flushed as Lori got up from her seat and hugged him. "You shouldn't have been so scared to come out to us. I mean, we're not exactly straight."

"You're not? But you're... married to guys."

"Wow, you're out of the fucking loop." I sipped my coffee and grinned at my brother. "I'm bi and Lori's pan. You being gay is not a big deal. And if anyone has a problem with it, I'll kick their ass."

"I'm pretty sure you could get arrested for beating up teenagers, Darcy. Sit down, Colton. I'll make you some breakfast." Lori gently led our brother to a seat and started pulling things out of the fridge, humming quietly to herself. I may be the oldest, but she's by far the most mature and motherly. She made sure that we had weekly family dinners (Mama and Christopher didn't show up half the time, but Colton did) and could read everyone like a book. She never let a problem go unsolved.

Alex and John came home with the kids as Lori finished cooking. I glared at them as they dripped melting snow onto the floor. Everyone cowered under my gaze. Everyone except William, that is. He was too young to really have any fear. He toddled over to Lori, standing on his toes and reaching his chubby hands up to her. Lori gave Colton his food and picked up her son.

"Toasts?" Will asked, pointing at Colton's plate. Lori smiled at him and put a piece of bread in the toaster. He didn't really talk much, and when he did, Lori showered him with affection. She thought that giving him food and hugs would encourage him to talk more. I personally thought it was almost like she was training an animal. Alex came into the kitchen, a towel around his shoulders. He ruffled Colton's hair, earning him a glare from the teenager, and wrapped the towel around Will.

"You just ate thirty minutes ago, buddy. Are you hungry again?"

"Toasts!" Will cheered, clapping his hands as Alex dried his hair. Colton made a gagging sound at the back of his throat when Lori kissed Alex. I rolled my eyes and drank my coffee, which was now getting cold. John walked up behind me and kissed the top of my head. Colton groaned into his eggs, but I could see a hint of a smile playing on the edges of his lips. He pretended to not care about us, but I could tell he was happy for us. He only knew a little about our pasts. Lori didn't want to overwhelm him. All she had told him was that we had been in bad relationships in the past, but I think he knew there was more than that.

"Mama, are we still doing the gingerbread houses later?" Philip asked as he ran into the kitchen, followed by his siblings and cousins. Colton shifted nervously. He was still awkward around all of us. Lori nodded and grabbed the toast as it popped out of the toaster. She spread a bit of jelly on it and handed it to her youngest. Will squealed excitedly as Lori turned to Colton.

"You should join us, Cole. You've been spending the entire break cooped up in your room." She was grinning widely, her eyes bright. Her favorite part of the year was our yearly gingerbread house decorating. Everyone was going to come over later. My house was always a mess afterwards, but it was worth it to see the smile on my sister's face.

"If you really want me to..."


	12. Chapter 12

**This is it, y'all. The final chapter of outtakes. It's bittersweet, but all good things must come to an end. And where one story ends, another begins. Keep your eyes peeled for the sequel, which will really be the highlight of the show. I'll see you lovelies next time, which hopefully won't be too long. Peace, my lovelies! ~Shaymie**

* * *

 _Lorin_

I should have known it would be nearly impossible to get everyone ready for a family picture. Philip had run off to who knows where, Rachel refused to leave her room because of a pimple, AJ was on one of his no-bath kicks, and Will was playing hide and seek. It had been hours and we still hadn't found him. The only ones present and accounted for were the twins. I finished brushing Melody's hair and looked over at Harmony, who was running away from Alex as he tried to get her dressed. She was a stubborn child.

We had thought for sure that Will would be our last child, but the twins had been a surprise. I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that I would have _six_ kids. Some people may think that's too many, but I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world. I loved them more than life itself. They were worth every stretch mark and strange food craving. Whenever I was having a bad day, all I had to do was look at my childrens' smiling faces and it made everything better.

I looked up as the front door opened and sighed in relief when I heard Philip's voice. At least one of my sons was here. Alex finally managed to get Harmony into her dress after promising to give her an apple. Melody started crying as something crashed in the living room. I heard Philip utter a string of curses as the noise continued. I sighed and handed Melody to Alex. I already knew what it was, and I wasn't looking forward to it. Of all the days, Philip had to pick _today_ to do this? I squared my shoulders and walked out to the living room, where I was immediately tackled to the ground.

"Hey, ma..." Philip chuckled sheepishly as a dog licked my face. "I was just going for a walk and I found him by the park. I couldn't just _leave_ him there!"

"Philip..." My son was known for bringing home lost or injured animals. The last creature he brought home was an injured bird, which was eaten by the stray cat he had brought home the previous day. Will had nightmares about it for days. Philip helped me up and tried to fix my hair. I narrowed my eyes as the dog-it looked like a Saint Bernard mixed with something-sniffed the hem of my dress.

"Mom, can we keep him? He's a sweetheart." Philip pouted and looked at me with puppy dog eyes. I sighed. I didn't have time to deal with this right now. I still had to get everyone else ready for the picture. So against my better judgment, I let Philip keep the dog. He had been begging me for one ever since Dumpling passed. He cheered and hugged me. This may be a terrible idea.

"You're responsible for him, Philip. Baths, walks, feeding-"

"I know, Mom," Philip rolled his eyes and pet the dog. "Come on, Buck! We have to get ready for the picture!"

He had already named the dog. I had a feeling that even if I had said no, he would have found a way to keep it. I shook my head and smiled. Philip was one of the most crafty and stubborn people I knew. He had a way of always getting what he wanted, no matter how impossible it seemed. I had lost track of how many times I had caught him sneaking into the snack cabinet when he was younger.

It took some time (and some makeup) to get the kids all together for the picture. Buck sat at our feet, his giant tail wagging. AJ was less than pleased to be forced into wearing a suit. Will had ruined his immediately, but there was no time to fix it. Rachel kept trying to hide behind Alex, complaining that her pimple was still visible underneath the makeup (it really wasn't). And Harmony refused to let go of the apple slices Alex had given her. The only two who were really picture-ready were Melody and Philip.

"That was a nightmare," Alex murmured shortly after the picture was taken. Harmony was sitting on the floor in front of Buck, feeding him apple slices. A quick Google search told me that apples were safe for dogs to eat, so I decided to let her have her fun. Philip had left for the pet store to buy some supplies for the dog. AJ and Will had gone to their treehouse for some kind of secret society meeting. What their society _did_ , I would never know. Rachel retreated back to her room, and Melody was taking a nap. She slept way more than her sister.

"At least nobody's bleeding this time," I shrugged. When we had taken our last family photo (which included Darcy, John, and their kids), Clover had managed to knock over a light and cut herself. She had to get stitches and was miserable for about two weeks, especially since Philip wouldn't let her live it down. I had to put the picture away to get him to leave her alone.

"I can't believe you let Philip keep that dog." Alex looked at Buck, who was crunching on an apple slice. I flipped another pancake onto a plate and sighed.

"He gave me the _eyes_ , Al. You know I can't say no to them. And he had already named him. I think a dog will be good for the kids."

"Lo, I think you're forgetting how big of a responsibility a _dog_ is. Philip could forget to feed it or get bored of it or-"

"You're underestimating our son," I clicked my teeth as I put two bagel halves into the toaster. I knew Philip would be hungry when he got back. I turned to my husband and raised an eyebrow at him. "You know he hates being treated like a child, Alex. He can handle taking care of a dog."

"Love, I read that ADHD can-"

"Our child is not defined by his mental illness, Alexander. You worry too much. We have to let him make his own decisions. He's fifteen, not five. And it's not like he's joining a gang. He's just getting a dog." The conversation was cut short by Philip coming home. I gave Alex a pointed look and walked over to Philip, who was setting his bags down. Buck barreled past me and sniffed the bags curiously, his tail wagging about a mile a minute. He ducked his nose into a bag and pulled out a bag of treats.

I smiled as my son wrestled with the dog. He'd be alright. _We_ would be alright. As long as we're together, nothing would go wrong.


End file.
